1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to a device that increases the usable cargo area of a cargo container and, more specifically, to a device that, when deployed, provides additional cargo space in a vehicle such as a truck, sports utility vehicle, van, trailer or utility cart and, when not deployed, is stored in the vehicle with minimal lost cargo space.
2. Related Art
In recent years, sports utility vehicles (SUVs), vans and pickup trucks have become increasingly popular among United States consumers. These passenger and work vehicles often provide more room for passengers than a standard passenger vehicle; and, in addition, provide users with an area to store and carry a variety of cargo. SUVs, vans and pickup trucks thus combine the comfort of a passenger vehicle with the utility of a trailer or utility cart.
Many of these vehicles, as well as trailers and utility carts, have a fixed-sized area in which to fit cargo. For example, a standard-sized pickup truck is typically available with either a six-foot or an eight-foot cargo area, or xe2x80x9cbed.xe2x80x9d If an optional tool chest is installed into the truck bed, the usable length of the truck bed may be reduced by as much as two feet. Although an eight-foot bed can carry a wider variety and greater quantity of goods than a six-foot bed, the additional two feet makes the pickup truck longer and less maneuverable. A longer vehicle is also typically more difficult to park. A pickup truck with a six-foot bed may be more practical in some situations, but the length of the bed can be a problem if the driver desires to carry something longer than six feet, such as an eight-foot piece of lumber. A pickup truck, trailer or cart with an eight-foot bed will, in spite of the extra two feet, present similar problems when the intended cargo is longer than eight feet or the usable length of the bed has been shortened by the installation of a tool chest.
Several methods have been developed to address this xe2x80x9ceight-foot board/six-foot bedxe2x80x9d problem. One simple solution is to open a tailgate, if the vehicle has one, and let the cargo either rest upon the lowered tailgate or, if necessary, extend beyond the tailgate. There are drawbacks to this solution. For example, in a SUV or van, an open rear door or tailgate prevents an air conditioning unit from functioning properly and may even allow exhaust fumes to enter the vehicle. In a SUV, van or pickup truck, a lowered tailgate can also obscure the view of the rear tail and brake lights for vehicles that follow. Visibility problems and the possibility that loose cargo may simply slide out an open tailgate present safety issues that may give rise to liability and legal problems in the event of an accident.
Recently, a truck bed extender has appeared on the market that consists of a U-shaped, metal and fiberglass gate of an open fence design. This gate fastens to the rear of a truck""s cargo area at the ends of the xe2x80x98Uxe2x80x99 and extends into the bed when not in use. When a user desires to extend the cargo area, the user lowers the tailgate, pivots the gate over and outward around the ends of the xe2x80x98Uxe2x80x99, and rests the gate upon the lowered tailgate. Although this approach may address the long cargo issue, it does not necessarily address all the safety issues and, in fact, may create other problems, e.g., the possibility that narrow objects can slide through openings in the gate and, when the gate is not in use, the gate occupies space in the cargo area that can be used for other purposes. The U-shaped gate may be removable, thus eliminating some problems, but a gate that must be removed and reinstalled between uses is not as convenient as a permanently installed gate.
A cargo area extender is provided that increase the cargo area of a sports utility vehicle (SUV), pickup truck, van, trailer or utility cart. For example, the cargo area extender can convert a six-foot pickup truck bed into an eight-foot bed. In a SUV or van, the cargo area can be converted into a temporary pickup bed-like storage area without having to fold or remove seats.
The cargo area extender consists of four panels: a top panel, a bottom panel and two side panels. Each side panel includes an inner side panel and an outer side panel. The bottom panel may be built as part of a tailgate. In a truck or an SUV, when the tailgate is opened, hinged pins in the inner side panels pull the inner side panels into channels on the bottom panel. The channels are flanged to ensure proper alignment with the inner side panels. The side panels can also be telescoping to make the cargo area extender more compact, thus conserving space.
In a van, the flanges are unnecessary because the channels can extend into fixed side panels, which can be built into or installed in the van and provide a framework in which the moveable side panels can both slide and be stored. In this configuration, the cargo area extender is mounted so that the entire unit rolls out in a fashion similar to a cabinet drawer.
Once the tailgate is lowered, or, in a van, the cargo area extender has been slid out from the fixed side panels, the top panel, which is adjacent to the bottom panel and connected to the bottom panel with hinges, is rotated upward and outward around the hinges. A mechanism on the bottom panel is then deployed to extend and lock the side panels into an open position. A handle on the top panel latches the top panel, which now functions as a temporary tailgate, to the cargo area extender sliding side panels and the cargo area extender is thus fully deployed. In vans and SUVs, the top panel tailgate can also be designed so that it can latch to the vehicle""s rear door.
The advantages of the cargo area extender are numerous and include the following attributes:
(1) Adaptable: The same design can be used for trucks, SUVs, vans, utility vehicles, and, with slight modifications, minivans.
(2) Compatible: Panels of the device can be designed to conform to individual vehicle model styling and shape. For example, the side panels of the device in SUVs and minivans can match the shape of the door and include a seal so that the cargo area extended area is weather proof.
(3) Versatile: The cargo area extender can be either installed by the vehicle manufacturer at the factory or sold as an after-market accessory.
(4) Compact: The top, bottom and side panels are narrow and occupy little or none of a vehicle""s original cargo space.
(5) Modular: Most parts of the cargo area extender are common regardless of the size of a vehicle. Connecting rods have multiple pivot point holes and sleeves to fit a variety of applications. Standard channels can be manufactured separately and fitted into top and bottom panels of different sizes.
(6) Easy to Use: Device operation is straightforward; there are no parts to fold or hold in place while opening or closing the device.